The Unfortunate Horse
by LinaLoN
Summary: In this story the Horse stuck in animal form who's Akito's sister runs away from the Sohmas and meets Tohru. When Akito finds out, both of them will have a fight on their hands for their lives.
1. The Unfortunate Horse

Hi there, normally I write Slayers fics but I couldn't help writing this one. This is a bittersweet tale of the fall from grace to begin the climb back up again. Some of this was inspired by the Fruits Basket Manga vol. 3, especially with Shigure and his "Dream". As I stated BEFORE, it follows the end of the anime. I have no idea what happens in the mange version except what I've read from the current 1-3 vols. released by Tokyo Pop. I do know that the Chicken's name is Kureno and it's a guy and that the horse is a girl. I didn't know her name, so I gave her the name Tama because I knew it wasn't her real name. If you have read the manga version and know what happens with the horse, just think of this as a different version of it. In this fic, the Horse and the Dog have a "special" relationship, and the Horse and the Bear are related.  
  
The Unfortunate Horse  
  
"Hi, my name is Tohru Honda. My mother who I loved dearly was killed in a car accident and now I live with the Sohmas who hold a great secret. The spirits of the Chinese Zodiac possesses them and if they bump into a member of the opposite sex, they transform into animals. I live with Shigure-san(the Dog), Sohma Yuki(the Rat), and Kyo-ku(the cat). Recently I've discovered that the Cat who wasn't invited to join the Zodiac doesn't just transform into cats, they also have a monstrous form... poor Kyo-kun! I've visited the Sohma's main estate a couple of times and the time I went, I had a meeting with the Sohma Head, Akito-san. I haven't been there for months now; I wander when I do, what will happen," narrates Tohru's voice.  
  
"Tohru-kun, where's Yuki tonight?!" Called out Shigure's voice from another room.  
"Oh, he has a student council meeting tonight, so he'll be late for dinner," Replied Tohru, setting the dinning table with food.  
  
Kyo entered the scene to discover what's on the table.  
"Leek Stew! Why is there Leek Stew?!" Shouts Kyo in rage.  
"Oh Kyo-kun, sorry! Kisa-san is going to see me about something tonight and she hasn't had dinner yet. I know that she loves Leek Stew, so I made it for us to eat but I didn't think about you hating it... oh, I'll just go a make something else for you!" replies Tohru, in a panic.  
"No you don't...." began Kyo but it was too late because Tohru already jetted into the kitchen and started cooking.  
"Nice going, Kyo-kun," Comments Shigure entering the scene.  
"It's not my fault, she never stops to think,"  
"You're the one who doesn't think, she's a lady and you should treat ladies gently like delicate flowers. How else are you going to get one to love you" scolds Shigure with closed, happy eyes.  
  
Kyo blushed but seemed to take offense to that.  
"You're one to talk, all you have dealt with are fantasy girls! When you actually have a relationship with a girl, let me know!" he retorted.  
  
Shigure's eyes opened and narrowed but he turned around and snickered;  
"...And when you come with terms with your true form enough that you can let her see you like that openly, let me know. Otherwise, you know nothing,"  
"Shigure you bastard, go to Hell!" exclaimed Kyo, storming out of the house and into the night.  
"Kyo-kun!" realized Tohru. Then she turned to Shigure. "What happened?" she asked him, nervously.  
"Something he said got to me and then I got him back. I thing I went a little too far, I'm not sure that he'll come back," sighed Shigure, sitting at the table to eat.  
"What, no," said Tohru, putting down the pot of Stewed Leeks on the table and running out after Kyo.  
  
Kyo didn't go to the roof like usual. He found himself at Yuki's 'Secret Base' and sat down under a tree next to it. When he heard rustling from the bushes, he went into attack mode but stop seconds away from kicking Tohru.  
"Tohru, what are you doing following me?!" he snapped and fell to the ground, relieved that he held back.  
"I heard lots of shouting and then Shigure-san told me that you two had an argument and you might not come back. I had to make sure that wasn't going to happen," explained Tohru.  
"Tohru, no offense; but leave me alone. I think I'm going to leave and live on my own. It seems like no one wants me around unless I do everything they want me to do," growls Kyo, not daring to look at her.  
  
Tohru didn't know what to say. She knew that he was hurting but didn't know why.  
"I like having you around. You make things interesting and you really care about people. You listen to me and I want to listen to you. Shigure-san and the others, know their place in the family. I know that you sometimes feel out of place but I'm out of place, too. Sohma-kun has admitted that he feels out of place in the family, as well. So, you're not alone. You should be able to be yourself around us and not have to worry about expectations from other people. Kyo-kun, I like you the way that you are... no matter what," solaced Tohru.  
  
Kyo was silent for a moment, then he spoke up.  
"That's different. Usually you quote something that your mother said to you, now you're saying your own words. I like it better that way because I know you're being honest. Just know that not every Zodiac member knows their place. Some are stuck there because of their fate. I'm glad, that's not me. Shigure-san thinks he knows everything. He's always up to something and hiding it, covering it with sayings and lies. He's always smiling and carefree like nothing is wrong to him but everything is wrong. Him denying it, makes me even more suspicious," explained Kyo.  
"Shigure knows what he's doing. I think that the truth to all lies eventually come out. Creating lies for a long time becomes like a defense, they think it will keep them from getting hurt. Keeping lies just ends up hurting them more. All that I can hope is that he doesn't have to lie anymore and can be able to show his true feelings," said Tohru.  
"Yeah, maybe. Anyway, I bet Kisa-san is at the house by now and dinner is getting cold. We should hurry back.... right?" decided Kyo.  
"Right," agreed Tohru with a bright smile.  
  
The two arrived at Shigure's house and just like Kyo predicted, Kisa was waiting in the dinning room. Shigure looked up from the table to see Kyo. He readied for a verbal assault from him.  
"Shigure, don't piss me off like that again. This time, I'm too hungry to stay angry," commented Kyo, sitting down next to Kisa.  
  
Tohru placed a plate of salmon in front of Kyo and served Kisa, while Shigure was in deep thought.  
"Shigure-san? Are you okay?" Tohru asked him.  
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Boy am I hungry, let's dig in!" he switched.  
  
They were finished eating when Kisa brought up something.  
"Um, tomorrow is Momiji's birthday, see. My mommy and I planned a surprise birthday party for him at the estate... um, she said I could invite you. So, would you please go?" asked Kisa, nervously.  
"A party for Momiji?! Of course, I'll go! I already got a present for him, I bought it yesterday," replied Tohru, overjoyed.  
"Yay!" cheered Kisa.  
  
The next day, Tohru was ready to walk to the Sohma estate with present in hand when Shigure approached her.  
"Do you mind if I accompanied you? I need to talk to Tori-san so we might as well go together," he asked her.  
"Sure, the more the merrier, right?" agreed Tohru.  
"Oh no, you're not going to go alone with Tohru-kun..." began Yuki, entering the scene.  
"It's okay, I'm going to Momiji's surprise birthday party and there will be a lot of people! I'm sure he'd love to see Shigure-san there, too," assured Tohru.  
"Um, that's not really what I was worried about," tried Yuki.  
"Yuki, it would be horrible if we were late because of you! We really should be going, Tohru-kun," interjected Shigure, quickly.  
  
There was nothing else Yuki could say and he watched as the two walked out the door. Tohru and Shigure arrived at the Sohma's main estate and walked inside. Kisa and Hime met up Tohru, and Kisa lead her to where the party was to take place. Meanwhile, Shigure walked to Hatori's office building.  
"Tori-san, I have arrived!" he announced.  
"Good, now leave," replied Tori sarcastically.  
"Oh Tori-san, how mean; especially when I came all this way to talk to you!" wailed Shigure melodramatically.  
"I suppose that means I should get tea ready," sighed Hatori. "Just be glad it's a slow day, Akito has gone out with Kureno and there's Momiji's party," commented Hatori, walking over to a small kitchen and preparing tea.  
"I'd say it's perfect timing,"  
"So, what do you have to see me about?"  
"I had 'That Dream' again. You remember that, the one that I had when we were little and we cried hoping that it would come true. This time 'She' was in it," began Shigure, sitting down at a small table.  
"She? She who... oh, her. Why did you all of a sudden dream of 'Her' do you think?" asked Tori as the teakettle whistled loudly.  
  
He removed the kettle from the stove and poured some into two cups. He put the kettle back on the stove and brought the two cups of tea to the table where Shigure was sitting.  
"Yesterday, Kyo-kun mentioned something about me not knowing anything about a real relationship with a girl. Usually that kind of thing wouldn't get to me but he has a way with words sometimes that cuts through people, you know? 'Her' image came to my mind and I got upset. So, I referred to his 'True Form' and he left the house. He probably would've left for good if Tohru-kun hadn't gone after him. They were gone for some time and then when they came back, everything was back to normal. She laughed happily and I couldn't help but think of 'Her' again. How she used to laugh and dance happily with people, like there wasn't a care in the world. So much like Tohru-kun where her absolute optimism blinds them to the horrors or reality. They can only be good-natured and have positive outlooks and they fail to think about the negative parts of life. I guess I couldn't keep things from my dreams," explained Shigure.  
"So, what was 'She' like in the dream?" continued Tori, pressing.  
"Just like she was a long time ago, before... she looked exactly like she did the day I met and knew 'Her' for the first time. Remember, it was the same day I told you and Aya about the dream..." replied Shigure.  
  
In a flashback sequence; Tori and Aya who seemed to be around seven years old had their backs against a balcony wall, where a young Shigure stood on top of it close to the edge. They all were sobbing quietly when Shigure stood tall and clenched a fist.  
"I promise... I promise I'll do everything I have to, to make that dream a reality! I'll do anything for the people I care about the most!" he vowed.  
  
Just then, there was a strong blast of wind that hit him, knocking him off of the balcony wall, and he began to fall to the ground below. He closed his eyes, ready for the harsh impact but instead landed with a 'thud' ontop of something soft and warm. He opened his eyes and looked down to see that he was on the back of a little horse. The horse had a tan coat and light brown mane (with a little pink barrette in it) and tail.  
"Are, are you okay?" a female voice asked him.  
  
Shigure stopped the flashback to stand up.  
"I think, I need to walk around for a little bit," he announced.  
"Shigure, you can try to deny the past but eventually it will catch up with you again. If you're not ready for it, it could end up destroying you," warned Tori, not looking up from his finished tea.  
"I'm not ready yet but if it does come, I can bare the consequences," said Shigure and he walked out of the office.  
  
He walked around the building and kept on walking. Meanwhile, Momiji's party had ended and Tohru waved goodbye to all of the children, including Momiji.  
"Bye Tohru, thanks for the present!" he called out to her.  
"You're welcome, Momiji-san," replied Tohru and she walked to the outside gate.  
  
She looked around for Shigure but he wasn't there.  
"He must still be busy with Tori-san, I think I'll just walk around for a bit and wait for him," thought Tohru.  
  
So she went around the corner of a building to see an object not too far away from her. She walked closer to it to discover that it was a horse with a tan coat and a light brown mane and tail. "A horse..." she sighed in awe. 


	2. The Horse and the Dog

The Horse and the Dog  
  
Shigure was continuing his flashback.  
"Who asked that?" the young Shigure asked aloud.  
"Me, the person under you," replied the girl's voice.  
  
Shigure sat up and looked at the little horse's face and realized what was going on.  
"You're a horse... oh, you must be from the Zodiac," he finally said.  
"That's right. We've only seen each other for the New Years Banquet, so I'm not surprise you don't really know me. My name's Tama... you're Shigure-san, right. That's Hatori-san and Ayame-san, too right?" asked Tama nodding her horse head up at the two boys, who were onlooking with wide eyes.  
"Yes, I'm Shigure and they are my friends. We're a buddy trio and go to the same school. We're all in the zodiac; I'm the Dog, Tori's the Dragon and Aya's the Snake. Tama? Then you're A..." replied. Shigure.  
"Yeah, that's right. I'm the year of the Horse. I'm just going to go and gather my clothes so that I can transform back into my human form. I'd like to meet your friends and talk with them," suggested Tama.  
"Oh, okay. I'll just let them know what's going on," agreed Shigure and he ran into the building he fell from.  
"Shi-san, are you all right?" Tori asked him.  
"Yes, I'm okay, that was close, though. Tama the Horse caught me,"  
replied Shigure with a hand behind his head in embarrassment.  
"Yeah, that was a great catch! I was so sure you were going to go  
'splat'! What a lucky dog, you are!" commented Ayame in his usual  
fashion.  
  
Shigure and Tori stared at him in disbelief, then shook their heads.  
"So, where's the Horse, now? We should thank her," switched Tori.  
"I'm right here, thanks for waiting!" interjected Tama's voice.  
  
The three boys turned to see a young girl about their age with shoulder-length hair that was tan with light brown at the ends. She took her hair ends and swung them into a barrette at the back of her head.  
"Hello, we're Hatori Sohma the Dragon and Ayame Sohma the Snake. We're grateful that you were around to help Shigure-san, it's good to meet you," greeted Tori.  
"Pleased to meet you. No problem," replied Tama with a bright smile.  
"So, why were you in Horse form, did you run into somebody?" Aya asked.  
"Can you boys keep an important secret? You can't tell anybody, especially Akito-san," began Tama.  
  
The boys glanced at each other and nodded sincerely.  
"Great! No, I didn't run into anyone. I was walking by when I saw Shi-san on the wall of the balcony. I was a little nervous about him standing there, so I stayed and watched until I saw a gust of wind knock him off. So, I transformed and galloped over to underneath the balcony," explained Tama, with a wink.  
"What?! You transformed by will?!" asked Shigure, surprised.  
"I'm the year of the Horse. I've always loved being the horse. I love galloping through the forests and with other horses. I love the wind flowing through my mane and the fresh air through my body. Because of that; I can change into my horse form by will, also I can transform back into a human whenever I want. As a result, if I run into someone from the opposite sex, I don't transform. Cool, huh?" replied Tama.  
"Isn't that dangerous, though?" asked Tori.  
"No, not at all. So you three are the same age and go to the same Elementary School, right?" Tama switched topics.  
"Yeah, we'll be entering Middle School next year. That one's a co-ed school right down the street from here," replied Aya, proudly.  
"Really?! Akito-san, finally allowed me to go to a public co-ed school. I'll be entering Middle School, too... maybe we'll be going to the same one! That would be so much fun! Akito's got a bad fever today, so we have free space to explore. I'll show you all of the secret places around here after I get the maid to get us something to eat. How about that?" rushed Tama, excitedly.  
"That does sound like fun," agreed Shigure and Aya.  
"I don't know, what if somebody sees us and we get into trouble?" asked Tori, seriously.  
"Don't worry about things like that! IF it happens, I'll just use my influence and take the blame for everything. Trust me, it won't happen! Now, come on!" replied Tama, grabbing Shigure's arm and pulling him along.  
  
Now back with Tohru gazing at the same horse from Shigure's memory. The horse seemed spooked at spotting Tohru and readies to bolt away.  
"Wait, Horse-san! I won't hurt you, I'm just amazed to see a horse here. I didn't see any stables around here, where did you come from, huh? Oh, I'm so silly talking to a horse and expecting you to understand what I'm saying but I can't help it. Hello horse-san, I'm Tohru Honda, pleased to meet you," she greeted the horse, obviously not realizing that's the zodiac horse.  
  
The horse seemed unsure, so Tohru reached out a friendly hand to it and smiled warmly.  
"It's okay, if you're scared of me... I'm a stranger to you after all. It's just that I've never seen a real, live horse in person! I've always wanted to be close to one but just SEEING you is good enough for me," said Tohru, sincerely.  
  
The horse apprehensively walked up to Tohru's hand and let her touch her forehead. Tohru was awe-struck and stroked her. The horse eased up and walked in closer to her, allowing her to stroke the neck.  
Just then, there was a loud commotion about. Both of them could hear screeching and shouting. It was followed by hurried steps and slamming doors.  
"What's going on?" Tohru asked, curiously and the horse got spooked by all of the noise.  
  
It back away from Tohru and was deciding whether to run off or not. Just then, Momiji came around the corner and saw them. His eyes widened in astonishment.  
"Tama-chan, what are doing here? Why did you escape? Tohru, you met her?" he asked in a panic.  
"Momiji, what's the matter? Why is there a big commotion?" Tohru asked him, worriedly.  
  
Hatori soon entered the scene and a concerned, serious look appeared on his face.  
"What are you doing, Tama-chan? Tohru-kun, did you meet Tama- chan?" he asked her.  
"I was waiting for Shigure-san to leave and walked around, when I saw her. I introduced myself to her but since she's just a horse, she can't answer me. What was all of that terrible noise?" answered Tohru.  
"This isn't good. That was Akito having a fit, finding out that Tama here escaped. You meeting her wasn't something we were expecting. Momiji, explain to her while I get her back where she belongs," replied Tori.  
  
He then took the horse by the mane and led her away back to the main house.  
"Tama-chan? Why was Akito having a fit over a horse?" Tohru asked Momiji.  
"You see; that horse isn't an ordinary horse, she's a member of the Zodiac," began Momiji.  
"Oh, did she run into somebody from the opposite sex?"  
"No, she's stuck like that.... Forever," "Forever? How awful! How did that happen?" Tohru asked Momiji, confused.  
"Tama –chan was always happy and loved being a member of the Zodiac. She was never sad or upset at her situation and because she loved being the Horse, she was lucky to have the ability not to transform into animal form when making contact with someone from the opposite sex. Tama- chan, Shi-chan, Tori-chan and Aya-chan were all friends and classmates up until the second year of high school. They wouldn't admit it but both Tori- chan and Aya-chan were attracted to her. Shigure-chan though, he loved her. She eventually fell in love with him, too.  
There are rules amongst the Sohmas that forbids a Zodiac member from having a serious relationship with another Zodiac member. Also, all relationships must be approved by Akito. Tama-chan and Shi-chan kept their relationship a secret from him and only Tori-chan and Aya-chan knew. Then, at the end of their Freshman Year, Tama-chan became violently ill. So ill that she transformed into the Horse and they feared she'd die. Finally a month later, she broke from the illness, only to discover that she couldn't change back into a human. As time passed, she lost her speech... and lost herself to being a normal horse," explained Momiji.  
"Poor Tama-chan. So why was Akito having a tantrum over her running free?" Tohru asked.  
"Because Tama-chan is Akito's sister. She was always free- spirited and strong, while he was weak. She despised all the rules and hated being restrained by anything. Akito believes that Tama-chan was punished for dating Shi-chan and keeping it from him. He also blamed himself for not being strong enough and not doing enough to stop her. So he became unruly and developed psychological problems, that's why he's the way he is now. He refused ANYONE to see Tama-chan like this and quarantined her in a large room, secret to all of us. I don't know why or how she broke out but Akito will be in a rage, so it's best you wait outside the main gate for Shi-chan," replied Momiji.  
  
Tohru had been crying and nodded tearfully. She hiccupped a sob and slowly walked to the main gate. Meanwhile, Tori led Tama-chan back to her rightful room. It seemed more like a stable and even had hay and a gate- like door. The only difference was that it was still inside of the Sohma's main house. There, Tori was met by Shigure who noticed something on the ground.  
"Look, the lock to the door broke. She must've took the chance to escape and be free," he figured, showing Tori the broken lock.  
"It was an old lock, a big kick to the door could have finally broke it. However, when she escaped; she met up with Tohru-kun. Who knows what might happen to both of them if Akito-san was to find out," commented Tori, not looking at Shigure.  
  
Tama remained silent the whole time and her head hung down.  
"Is that what it's like to be free? I wish that I be free again. Tohru-kun, I want to see you again," she thought.  
  
Akito, was in the depths of his favorite room, which was trashed with splintered wood and broken objects. Akito's bird perched on his finger while a shadowy figure entered the room.  
"Akito-sama," a voice interrupted Akito's deep thought,  
"Ah, Kureno-san. Tama-chan is back in her room, right?" Akito asked the boy in the shadows.  
"Yes Tori-kun has returned her, not before she encountered someone," replied the voice.  
"Who was this?"  
"I witnessed Tama-chan with Momiji-kun, Tori-kun... and Tohru Honda," reported the voice.  
  
This chapter was shorter than the others but it had to be done. In Chapter 3;. Tama who has had a taste of freedom and is now starving for it, breaks out again and runs away. Will the other Sohma's find her? Is there any way that Tohru can help her? Will she be brave enough to return to the Sohma estate and even worse... Akito? 


	3. Like Falling Off a Horse

Like Falling off a Horse  
  
"Good job, Kureno. Keep telling me all that you know. You may go," said Akito, with a sly smile.  
"Why is it that meeting Miss Tohru is such a sour thought to you, Akito-sama?" Kureno dared to ask.  
"She is a threat to me... to all of us. That's all I'll say to you about the subject. Now, you must go," replied Akito, changing his smile to a grimace.  
  
Kureno's shadowy figure exited Akito's room.  
"Tohru Honda, the others may be influenced by your ways but I will not move from my place. You give them false hopes of normality, which will only serve to hurt them more when they find out the truth. If you dare to try and use your influence on my sister, you will be punished severely. This time, I will not be as lenient as before," growled Akito.  
  
Kureno had heard Akito's words about Tohru.  
"Is this Tohru Honda person that bad? Or is he more worried that she might be able to accomplish what he could not," he asked himself.  
  
Shigure finally exited the Sohma estate to see Tohru still waiting for him.  
"You haven't gone home, yet?" he asked her, curiously.  
"No, we came together. So I thought we should leave together. Besides, I was worried about you," replied Tohru a little unsure.  
"Oh, you're so considerate, Tohru-kun," praised Shigure.  
"Shigure-san? I know that Kyo-kun and Sohma Yuki-kun are okay with talking to me if there's anything weighing them down. Even though you are older than them, it doesn't mean that you can't be allowed to be the same and know that you can lean on me for support if you need me to," said Tohru, smiling again.  
  
Shigure didn't say anything but then spoke up;  
"You are a genuine and good-natured person. I assure you that I won't let bad things get to me the same as the others do. Thank-you anyway, Tohru-kun," he said to her. "She really is a lot like you, Tama-chan. I just hope she doesn't meet up with the same type of misfortune as you have," he thought as the two walked.  
  
Back at Shigure's house; Tohru cooked while Yuki and Kyo fought. The four of them ate their diner and then went to bed.  
"Tomorrow, I have school and then work. I don't know if I'll be able to concentrate with everything that happened today. I found out more about the Shigure and Akito as well as meeting Tama-chan but I can't help but feel sorry for them. I feel awful about what happened. Shigure-kun.... Tama-chan.... Akito-san...." Thought Tohru as she drifted to sleep.  
  
The next morning Kyo and Yuki were arguing over something, while Tohru served them breakfast and they quickly stopped. The phone rang and Shigure who was closer to it, picked up the phone.  
"Hello, Sohma... oh, hi Tori-san, what's up? What?! No, way! When was that? Oh my, that is.... Yeah, Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun don't have anything to do today afterschool but Tohru-chan has work. Yes, right... I'll let them know right away. Okay, thanks for the update," said Shigure to Tori on the other side.  
  
When Shigure hung up the phone, he saw all the others were hiding around the corner. They were curious about the conversation he was having with Tori.  
"Okay you guys, you can come out now and I'll tell you what happened," he announced to them.  
  
Tohru appeared around the corner with a sheepish look accompanied by Yuki and Kyo.  
"What was that all about on the phone?" Yuki asked him.  
"Well apparently, Tama-chan fled the coop again during the night and they haven't seen her since. Now Akito is in raving hysterics while all of the Sohmas are desperately searching everywhere for her. I'll join the hunt, too and since you and Kyo don't have anything afterschool today; I'm volunteering you to help," replied Shigure with a laugh of amusement.  
"This isn't funny! Akito in hysterics! Then you go and volunteer us!" shouts Kyo, angrily.  
"Well Que Se Que Sa, just do it okay?" commented Shigure.  
  
Kyo growled in defeat and Yuki had a sweatdrop in defeat. Tohru didn't know what to say or do. Later that night, Tohru was walking towards her workplace. She checked her watch as the sun was setting in the distance.  
"Oh, I'm kinda early tonight. Maybe I'll just take my time and look around," she thought. "Oh I know, I'll go to the river close to where my tent used to be! It was such a nice place, I'd love to see it again," she decided.  
  
So she walked down the road where her tent used to be and where the mudslide still remained. She kept walking until she heard the familiar sound of running water by the river.  
"Ah, it's nearby!" she cheered.  
  
Just then, she heard a strange noise. It was a loud sound that she didn't recognize. It was a neigh from a horse and when she looked over a hill to view the river below, she also saw a horse wading in its water. It was the same horse from the day before and she realized who it was.  
"Tama-chan!" she called out to her and clumsily slide down the hill over to the river.  
  
Tama was scared that she was found and back away to turn and flee.  
"Wait! Don't run away from me, please! I'm just glad to see you again! Momiji told me everything so I know about you. I'm sorry that all happened and I want to see you happy and free again," begged Tohru.  
  
Tama paused from running away and inched up closer to Tohru.  
"It must be awful to be stuck as animal when you're really a human. How people look at you like you're nothing more than some horse. Horses are known to have a wild spirit and love being free. You used to be the same and then all of a sudden, you find yourself trapped in a room. It must've been so lonely there and only your faint existence known during New Years. No one allowed to look at you, making you feel like you're not a worthy creature to be concerned with. Then, a door to freedom was opened to you and when you took it, you felt how good it was to be free again. So naturally, you'd want to be free for good. Not just physically but emotionally as well. I won't do anything to take you away from that but Akito is really worried about you. You can't just run away from your family, you have to learn to compromise with them. Then you'll finally be free," said Tohru gently.  
  
Tama had tears in her horse eyes and nudged Tohru with her nose. She walked into closer so that Tohru could hug around her neck.  
"Tama-chan, I want to help you but I can't tonight. I have to go and work. I promise that tomorrow , I'll come by and be with you. We'll play together and you'll have fun for once. Just promise me in return that you'll go back to the Sohma estate that night, okay?" suggested Tohru.  
  
Tama thought for a moment then nodded her horse head in agreement.  
"Okay, then I'll see you tomorrow! Bye for now!" waved Tohru, walking away. Tohru walked hurriedly to work while thinking "I hope she stays. I want to help her and everybody be able to live happy lives together as like a real family should,"  
  
The next day Tohru had breakfast already on the table when everyone arrived.  
"Why are you in such a hurry today, Miss Honda?" Yuki asked her, curiously.  
"Oh... um, I'm going to go with Hana-chan to the mall and then we're going to go over to Ou-chan's house," lied Tohru, nervously.  
"That sounds boring," commented Kyo.  
"So Yuki, do you have any plans today?" Tohru switched subjects.  
"I do have a Student Council duty to attend to this afternoon but for today, not really," replied Yuki.  
"We still have to look for Tama-chan, she hasn't come back yet," reminded Shigure.  
"It doesn't seem like she wants to return... I don't blame her. Considering the way that Akito treats her, I wouldn't want to go back either if I was her," commented Kyo.  
"Oh no, it's not like that!" interjected Tohru loudly, standing up.  
"What are you getting so upset about, Tohru?" Kyo asked her.  
"Well, she's just confused. Maybe she just wanted another taste of freedom for a little bit longer. She's a strong-willed person, she'll go back and face the Sohmas again. I just know it," she declared, firmly.  
  
Shigure thought for a moment then rested his chin on his hand.  
"I think Tohru's right. Still, we should look. She hasn't been outside of the estate for years and she could get lost," he said.  
  
So when breakfast was done and Tohru cleaned up, she left the house. Yuki was not too far behind when a thought crossed his mind.  
"Wait, that's not the way to the mall. She's heading to where her work is. If she's working them why didn't she just say so?" Yuki asked himself. "Shigure, I'm going to look for Tama-chan now! I'll see you later!" he called out to the house.  
"Okay, come back soon!" replied Shigure's voice.  
  
With that settled, Yuki followed Tohru far behind. She walked in the same direction she did the other day and led him to the river. She nervously looked around her to make sure that no one else was there and so Yuki hid quickly. She then slid down the hill and to where the river was flowing.  
"I'm here like I promised!" she announced out loud. "Tama-chan, you didn't leave did you?" she wandered nervously.  
A minute later, Tama's horse form appeared from the other side of the river. She then galloped through the river and to where Tohru was standing. Yuki who was overlooking the scene from the top of the hill, realized what was going on.  
"Tama-chan... she's been with her," he gasped.  
  
He suddenly stepped on a branch, which cracked underneath his weight. The sound made by the branch alerted Tama and she looked up to see him standing there. She backed up spooked and started to run away.  
"Tama-chan, wait! Yuki-kun, what are you doing here! I didn't tell you anything!" Tohru cried, upset by the scene.  
"Honda-san, I'm sorry! I followed you because I was curious, I'm sorry Tama-chan I didn't mean to see you!" replied Yuki quickly, sliding down the hill gracefully.  
"Yuki-kun, please keep this secret. Don't tell anyone, please? I promised that I would come by today and spend time with her. In exchange, she promised that she would go back to the Sohma estate tonight. Please, this might be the only chance she has of being free and happy," begged Tohru.  
  
Yuki thought for a moment and then nodded his head in agreement.  
"Okay, I understand. I've always hated the fact that I felt as if I was in a cage when I've been with the Sohmas, but Tama-chan really has been in a cage. Is it okay if I stay with you two?" Yuki asked.  
  
Tama nodded in agreement and Tohru smiled happily.  
"This will be even more fun with you here, Yuki!" she cheered.  
  
So, that's the end of chapter 3.. In chapter 4;Tohru, Tama and Yuki run around and have fun.. it pays off in a big way! Then, Tohru takes Tama back to Akito. What will Akito's reaction be? Why is Kyo negotiating with Yuki? Is there any way that Tama can be freed from her own prison, without the cost of her new friend's life? 


End file.
